Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Explains Telling T.J. Hockenson to ‘Go Down’ After Injury

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ESPN cameras caught Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell telling tight end T.J. Hockenson to “go down” as their team approached the end zone in the middle of the second quarter of an eventual 22-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

O’Connell spoke about the matter when asked about it by reporters (h/t Matt Ehalt of the New York Post).

“It was more so about if he’s coming out–kind of similar maybe what you guys saw when we took a delay late in a previous game this year. When a guy either comes on or comes off late, we’re pretty meticulous about what personnel is on the field, what we’re gonna call with those guys in the game. It just allows us all a chance (to) reset, and he was injured.

“I credit all of our guys’ toughness but sometimes depending on the time of the game of the situation of the game where the clock is really not an issue, he was able to come back in the game from that which was really impressive.”

The Vikings didn’t appear to gain any sort of advantage by O’Connell telling Hockenson to go down. There were over eight minutes left in the first half, and the play clock wasn’t about to expire (19 seconds left when it stopped for the injury), so it wasn’t as if the head coach was looking for a pause in the game action there.

The tight end also seemed banged up after blocking in front of running back Cam Akers, who took a pass 30 yards down to the San Francisco 2-yard line in the middle of the second quarter. He did appear gimpy walking off the field but soon returned to the action and ended up with 11 catches for 86 yards.

Hockenson clearly played through pain in this one. He left the game again in the third quarter and went to the medical tent but later returned.

In the end, Minnesota won a big game against a San Francisco team that was 5-1. Minnesota doesn’t have much time to rest, however, with a big NFC North battle looming at the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.